What is Seborrheic Dermatitis?

Seborrheic dermatitis is actually one of the most common reasons that an adult patient will visit the dermatologist. Probably affects 10 to 20% of the population. It will typically present with red, itchy, scaly patches in the parts of the face and upper body that have a lot of oil glands. So typically over here, and over here, and over here and here. And it’s really bad in and behind the ears, and even on the scalp and the chest.

So, although there’s no cure for seborrheic dermatitis, and it’s something that will tend to come and go, particularly in times of stress, we have a lot of medicines that can control it and give you the tools to keep it under control. The most common tool is usually going to be a topical corticosteriod cream, which we’ll have you use for a week or two whenever it’s flaring. And that usually calms it down. In some patients… We all have yeast that grows on our body, but in some patients they have too much of this yeast in their oil glands. So in seborrheic dermatitis that’s a little bit difficult to control. We’ll often add a cream or a gel that attacks this yeast component that usually can bridge the gap in treatment.

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